Cushioned movement mounting watch



June 12, 1956 E, K. SCHWAIBOLD 2,749,702

CUSHIONED MOVEMENT MOUNTING WATCH Filed July 8, 1954 INVENTOR. 5227. foqor K, ic/za/a/bo/o ATTOR/VE CUSHIONED MOVEMENT MOUNTING WATCH Edgar K. Schwaibold, Ludington, Mich., assignor to Star Watch Case Co., Ludington, Mich.

Application July 8, 1954, Serial No. 442,004

4 Claims. (CI. 58-88) This invention relates to improvements in cushioned movement mounting watch. The principal objects of the invention are:

First, to provide a yieldable support for the movement of a watch within a watch case.

Second, to provide a yieldable movement support that is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble in the watch.

Third, to provide a movement support that radially centers and axially cushions a watch movement in its case.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and claims. The drawings illustrate a highly practical form of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a watch with a portion of the case and movement supporting ring broken away in radial cross section.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the movement supporting ring.

Pig. 3 is a fragmentary edge elevational view of the movement supporting ring.

In the drawings, 1 represents the bezel of a watch case, 2 the crystal, 3 the dial, 4 the movement, and 5 the back of the watch. The edge of the crystal is snapped into an internal groove 6 in the front of the bezel. The dial 3 is carried on the movement and its edge is pressed against an internal flange 7 on the bezel. The inside of the bezel is cylindrically bored as at 8 or otherwise suitably shaped to conform to the contour of the movement but is substantially larger than the movement. The rear of the bezel is internally threaded to engage the threads 9 on the inner surface of the back. In order to seal the watch case, a gasket 10 carried by the periphery of the back is seated in an annular groove or shoulder in the back of the bezel.

The movement 4 is radially outwardly and rearwardly shouldered as at 11. An annular movement supporting ring 12 embodying the present invention fits in radially and axially supported engagement against the shoulder 11. The radially outer edge of the ring 12 is provided at angularly spaced intervals with radially projecting cars 13 that engage the inner surface 8 of the bezel and center the movement in the case. When the case and movement are circular one or more of the ears 13 may be provided with :1 lug 14 that engages in an internal axial groove 15 in the bezel to prevent rotation of the ring in the case. Desirably but not necessarily the ring 12 is a continuous closed ring. It may be split or have a short segment cut away.

The ring 12 is desirably of rectangular radial cross section. It is provided or shaped with a plurality of angularly spaced rearwardly bowed portions 16. Flat segmental lands 17 are left at the top or front of the ring between the bowed portions. The lands 16 and adjacent portions of the ring seat firmly against the movement 4 while the bottom or rear faces of the bowed portions seat against an annular seat 18 on the inside of the back 5. In the example illustrated the back 5 is of precious or stainless metal while the threads 9 and seat 18 are formed on a ring 19 of base metal secured to the back.

States Patent: 0

In the assembled watch the bowed portions 16 act as springs to cushion the movement in the case while the radially inner surface of the ring and the outer edges of the ears 13 center the movement in the case. The yieldable character of the ring 12 permits the back 5 to be screwed on tight to obtain a good seal at the gasket 10 without distorting the position of the movement within the case.

Variations of details of the movement mounting such as fall within the scope of the following claims may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed to be new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A watch comprising, a bezel having a crystal sealed in the front thereof and a radially inwardly projecting flange behind the crystal, said bezel being cylindrically recessed behind said flange and internally threaded at the back of the bezel, a movement positioned in said bezel and spaced radially therefrom, a dial carried by said movement and bearing against the rear of said flange, said movement having a rearwardly and radially outwardly facing shoulder thereon, a movement supporting ring of continuous annular shape and approximately square cross section seated against said shoulder, said ring having angularly spaced rearwardly bowed portions formed therein and separated by fiat segmental lands at the front of the ring, radially outwardly projecting ears on said lands of the same thickness as said ring bearing against the side of the recess in said bezel, a lug on one of said ears disposed in an axially extending slot provided therefor in said bezel, and a back threadedly engaged with said bezel, said back having a seat thereon bearing against the bowed portions of said ring.

2. A watch comprising, a bezel having a crystal in the front thereof and a radially inwardly projecting flange behind the crystal, said bezel being recessed behind said flange and threaded at the back of the bezel, a movement positioned in said bezel and spaced radially therefrom, a dial carried by said movement and bearing against the rear of said flange, said movement having a rearwardly and radially outwardly facing shoulder thereon, a movement supporting ring of annular shape and a cross section not substantially thicker axially of the ring than its width radially of the ring seated against said shoulder, said ring having angularly spaced rearwardly bowed portions formed therein and separated by flat segmental lands at the front of the ring, radially outwardly projecting ears on said lands bearing against the side of the recess in said bezel, a lug on one of said ears disposed in an axially extending slot provided therefor in said bezel, and a back threadedly engaged with said bezel, said back having a seat thereon bearing against the bowed portions of said ring.

3. A watch comprising, a bezel having a crystal in the front thereof and a radially inwardly projecting portion behind the crystal, said bezel being recessed behind said projection and threaded at the back of the bezel, a movement positioned in said bezel and spaced radially therefrom, and bearing against the rear of said projecting portion, said movement having a rearwardly and radially outwardly facing shoulder located at angularly spaced positions therearound, a movement supporting ring of annular shape seated against said shoulder, said ring having a solid radial cross section, said ring having angularly spaced rearwardly bowed portions formed therein and separated by flat segmental lands at the front of the ring, radially outwardly projecting ears on part of said lands bearing against the side of the recess in said bezel, and a back threadedly engaged with said bezel, said back having a seat thereon bearing against the bowed portions of said ring.

4. A watch comprising, a bezel having a crystal in the front thereof and a radially inwardly projecting portion behind the crystal, said bezel being recessed behind said projecting portion and threaded at the back of the bezel, a movement positioned in said bezel and spaced radially therefrom and supported against the rear of said projecting portion, said movement having a rearwardly facing shoulder, an annular movement supporting ring seated against said shoulder, said ring having angularly spaced rearwardly bowed portions formed therein and separated by lands at the front of the ring, radially outwardly projecting ears on said lands bearing against the side of the recess in said bezel, and a back adjustably engaged with said bezel and supportedly engaging the bowed portions of said ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS i n .a .t 

